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Ryōan-ji
Ryōan-ji ( ja, 竜安寺, label=Shinjitai, ja, 龍安寺, label=Kyūjitai, ''The Temple of the Dragon at Peace'') is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of ''kare-sansui'' ("dry landscape"), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles (small, carefully selected polished river rocks) raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. History The site of the temple was an estate of the Fujiwara clan in the 11th century. The first temple, the ''Daiju-in'', and the still existing large pond were built in that century by Fujiwara Saneyoshi. In 1450, Hosokawa Katsumoto, another powerful warlord, ...
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Japanese Rock Garden
The or Japanese rock garden, often called a zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. Zen gardens are commonly found at temples or monasteries. A zen garden is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall or buildings, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the ''hojo'', the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Many, with gravel rather than grass, are only stepped into for maintenance. Classical zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto during the Muromachi period. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid for meditation. History Early Japanese rock gardens Stone gardens existed in Japan at ...
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Zen Garden
The or Japanese rock garden, often called a zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. Zen gardens are commonly found at temples or monasteries. A zen garden is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall or buildings, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the ''hojo'', the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Many, with gravel rather than grass, are only stepped into for maintenance. Classical zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto during the Muromachi period. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid for meditation. History Early Japanese rock gardens Stone gardens existed in Japan at ...
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Kare-sansui
The or Japanese rock garden, often called a zen garden, is a distinctive style of Japanese garden. It creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. Zen gardens are commonly found at temples or monasteries. A zen garden is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall or buildings, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the ''hojo'', the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Many, with gravel rather than grass, are only stepped into for maintenance. Classical zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto during the Muromachi period. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve as an aid for meditation. History Early Japanese rock gardens Stone gardens existed in Japan at ...
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Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the city had a population of 1.46 million. The city is the cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an/Luoyang. The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869. It was the scene of several key events of the Muromachi period, Sengoku period, and the Boshin War, such as the Ōnin War, the Ho ...
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Historic Monuments Of Ancient Kyoto
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) encompasses 17 locations in Japan within the city of Kyoto and its immediate vicinity. In 794, the Japanese imperial family moved the capital to Heian-kyō. The locations are in three cities: Kyoto and Uji in Kyoto Prefecture; and Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture; Uji and Ōtsu border Kyoto to the south and north, respectively. Of the monuments, 13 are Buddhist temples, three are Shinto shrines, and one is a castle. The properties include 38 buildings designated by the Japanese government as '' National Treasures'', 160 properties designated as '' Important Cultural Properties'', eight gardens designated as ''Special Places of Scenic Beauty'', and four designated as ''Places of Scenic Beauty''. UNESCO listed the site as World Heritage in 1994. Selection criteria Kyoto has a substantial number of historic buildings, unlike other Japanese cities that lost buildings to foreign invasions and war; ...
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Myōshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan, and head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. The Myōshin-ji school is by far the largest school in Rinzai Zen, approximately as big as the other thirteen branches combined: it contains within it about 3,400 temples throughout Japan, together with a handful overseas, of the approximately six thousand total Rinzai temples, and also has nineteen associated monasteries, of the total of forty monasteries and one nunnery. History The grounds of the temple were formally a palace for the Emperor Hanazono. Hanazono abdicated in 1318 and took the tonsure (became a monk) in 1335, and in 1342 donated the palace to found the temple; the district and many places in the area are named "Hanazono" in his honor. The head temple was founded in 1342 by the Zen master Kanzan Egen (関山慧玄, 1277–1360), third patriarch in the influential Ōtōkan lineage. Nearly all of the buildings were destroyed in the Ōnin War in 1467. However, many o ...
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Emperor Horikawa
was the 73rd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 堀河天皇 (73)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Horikawa's reign spanned the years from 1087 through 1107. Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Taruhito''-shinnō'' (善仁親王). He was also known as Yoshihito''-tennō''. Horikawa was the son of Emperor Shirakawa. His mother was Fujiwara no Kenshi (藤原賢子), adopted daughter of Fujiwara Morozane (藤原師実). His wet nurse was a different Fujiwara no Kenshi (藤原兼子). *Empress (chūgū): Imperial Princess Tokushi (篤子内親王), Emperor Go-Sanjo’s daughter *Consort (Nyōgo): Fujiwara no Ishi (藤原苡子; 1076-1103), Fujiwara no Sanesue’s daughter ** Imperial Prince Munehito (宗仁親王) later Emperor Toba *Lady-in-waiting (Naishi): Princess Jinshi (仁子女王; d.1126), Prince Yasusuke’s daughter ** Imperial Princess Soshi (悰子内親王, ...
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Emperor Go-Reizei
was the 70th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後冷泉天皇 (70)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Reizei's reign spanned the years 1045–1068. This 11th century sovereign was named after the 10th century Emperor Reizei and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Reizei". The Japanese word "''go''" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Reizei, the second," or as "Reizei II." Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Chikahito''-shinnō'' (親仁親王). He was the eldest son of Emperor Go-Suzaku. His mother was Fujiwara no Kishi (藤原嬉子), formerly Naishi-no kami, daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga. Go-Reizei had three Empresses and no Imperial sons or daughters.Brown, p. 311. Events of Go-Reizei's life When Emperor Go-Suzaku abdicated ...
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Emperor Go-Suzaku
was the 69th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後朱雀天皇 (69)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 1036 through 1045. This 11th-century sovereign was named after the 10th-century Emperor Suzaku and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, he is sometimes called the "Later Emperor Suzaku". The Japanese word "''go''" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Suzaku, the second" or as "Suzaku II." Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Atsunaga''-shinnō'' (敦良親王). His father was Emperor Ichijō. His mother was Fujiwara no Akiko/ Shōshi (藤原彰子), the daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga (藤原道長). He was the younger brother and heir to Emperor Go-Ichijō. Go-Suzaku had five Empresses and seven Imperial children.Brown, p. 311. Ev ...
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Emperor Ichijō
was the 66th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 一条天皇 (66)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 986 to 1011. Biography Before he ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Kanehito''-shinnō'' (懐仁). Kanehito''-shinnō'' was the first son of Emperor En'yū and Fujiwara no Senshi, a daughter of Fujiwara no Kaneie. Since there are no documented siblings, it is supposed that he was an only child. Ichijō had five Empresses or Imperial consorts and five Imperial sons and daughters. Events of Ichijō's life His reign coincided with the culmination of Heian period culture and the apex of the power of the Fujiwara clan. He ascended to the throne after a period of political instability that began within the Fujiwara clan after they successfully eliminated the Minamoto clan as a political rival. The internal power struggle that ensued within the Fujiwara saw the untime ...
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Emperor Kazan
was the 65th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 花山天皇 (65)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kazan's reign spanned the years from 984 through 986. Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was Morosada''-shinnō'' (師貞親王). Morasada was the eldest son of Emperor Reizei. The prince's mother was Fujiwara no Kaneko/''Kaishi'' (藤原懐子), who was a daughter of ''sesshō'' Fujiwara no Koretada. Morasada was also the brother of Emperor Sanjō.Titsingh, p. 148. Events of Kazan's life Prince Morasada was seventeen years of age at the time of the succession. * October 6, 984 ('' Eikan 1, 27th day of the 8th month''): In the 15th year of Emperor En'yu's reign (円融天皇十五年), he abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by a nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kazan is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). He commissioned the Shūi Wakashū. * ...
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Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宇多天皇 (59)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897. Traditional narrative Name and legacy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (''imina'') was or ''Chōjiin-tei''. Emperor Uda was the third son of Emperor Kōkō. His mother was Empress Dowager Hanshi, a daughter of Prince Nakano (who was himself a son of Emperor Kanmu). Uda had five Imperial consorts and 20 Imperial children.Brown, p. 289. Particularly important sons include: * Prince Atsuhito (884–930). * Prince Atsuzane (敦実親王) (893–967). Historical background In ancient Japan, there were four noble clans, the '' Gempeitōkitsu'' (源平藤橘). One of these clans, the Minamoto clan (源氏), is also known as Genji. Some of Uda's grandchildren were granted the surname ''Minamoto'' (Minamoto is the most used surname for former Ja ...
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